Battle for the Swamp
by chilled monkey
Summary: Crossover with the "Swamp Thing" cartoon. The Rangers attempts to prevent Lord Zedd acquiring an ancient weapon are complicated when they get caught up in the battle between Swamp Thing and Dr Arcane.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I do not own either "Swamp Thing" or "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers" Both are property of their respective owners. No profit is being made from this story.

 **Author's Note:** This story follows the "Swamp Thing" cartoon which is a separate continuity from the comics and as such some things are different. Please keep this in mind if you are only familiar with the comic version.

* * *

Up on the Moon, in the lunar palace of Lord Zedd, Finster was in his workshop intently studying an ancient scroll of yellowed parchment. His excitement was steadily growing as he translated more and more of the text.

Since Lord Zedd had taken over the palace and banished Rita to deep space Finster had been at a loose end as Zedd preferred to create his own monsters and Putties. Determined to get back in his master's good graces the terrier-like alien had turned his attention to his collection of arcane lore. Surely there was something there that would be of use in defeating the Power Rangers.

And now he had found it.

He picked up the scroll and hurried to the throne room where, as usual, Lord Zedd was sitting upon his throne and brooding over his latest defeat at the Power Rangers hands. The sight of the ominous figure momentarily quelled Finster's eagerness to speak. He summoned up his courage and called, "Excuse me Lord Zedd. I believe I have found the means to conquer the Earth."

The Emperor of Evil turned his head and snapped, "I am not interested in any more of your weak monsters you fool!"

Finster bristled at having his creations insulted but kept his focus. "Not that my lord. I have uncovered the location of the Sword of Power."

Now Zedd was interested. "The Sword of Power?" he repeated. "That was lost centuries ago."

"Indeed my lord. After the Forces of Good managed to acquire the sword it was decreed by Zordon himself that it was too powerful to be used." He held up the scroll. "According to this scroll it was brought to the planet Earth and entrusted to a native tribe who buried it on their sacred land. I've managed to determine the burial site is located in swampland in the region the humans call Louisiana."

"Good work Finster" said Zedd as he took the scroll and marched to the balcony. After studying the scroll for a moment a beam of red light shone from his visor as he used his telescopic vision to study the Earth. In just a few moments he found what he was seeking.

"Yes! With the Sword of Power I will at last destroy the Power Rangers and rule the Earth!" Zedd laughed triumphantly.

* * *

The humid air of the swamp carried the faint sound of buzzing insects and bird cries. The trees towered overhead, casting giant shadows on the ground below. Sunlight gleamed on damp grass and still puddles of water. Small animals scurried through the undergrowth.

The peaceful calm was interrupted by several alien forms abruptly materialising in flashes of lightning. When the lightning cleared Lord Zedd, Baboo, Squatt and a squad of Z-Putties were standing in an open space not far from the tree-line. Except for Zedd all of them were holding shovels. At their appearance nearby animals stopped their foraging and fled.

"I don't like it here. It's too green and wet" Baboo whined.

"Silence you fools!" Zedd snapped. "The Sword of Power is somewhere here on this burial site. You and the Putties will dig up this area until you find the sword and bring it to me. Surely even you pea-brains can't mess that up!"

"Yes Lord Zedd. Just leave it to us" said Squatt enthusiastically. Zedd glowered at him and teleported away.

"Well let's get to it. That sword's not going to dig itself up" said Squatt. He, Baboo and the Puttties started digging, completely unaware that they were being watched.

Hiding in a nearby bush was a scrawny, hairless figure with shrivelled white skin and large pointed ears. His eyes were huge, with tiny pupils, no irises and green sclera. He wore a pair of tattered blue shorts and a scrap of blue cloth went around his shoulders.

His name was Skinman and he was one of the henchmen of Dr. Anton Arcane, an evil scientist obsessed with attaining immortality. He had heard voices and come to take a look, arriving just after Zedd had teleported away.

"What are those things?" he wondered aloud. "Dr. Arcane didn't make them. I must tell him about this right away."

* * *

Soon afterwards Dr. Arcane listened as Skinman reported what he had seen. They were in the mad scientist's underground laboratory, a sinister, dungeon-like place with a stone floor and walls. In the centre of the room was a set of steps leading up to the transducer, a machine that resembled a metal coffin attached to a canister of green fluid.

Despite the stylish blue evening suit he wore Dr. Arcane was a frightening sight. He had once been splashed with his own mutagen, leaving him horribly disfigured. A ridge of bumps ran up his hairless head, his ears were pointed and two pointed canines gleamed faintly, giving him the look of a vampire. His skin was a pale purplish tint. Like his henchman his eyes had green sclera and no irises. In one hand he held a twisted wooden cane tipped with a skull.

Also present were Dr. Arcane's other two henchmen. The first was Weed Killer, a blue-skinned man wearing a gas mask, grey gloves and boots and the sleeveless, tattered remains of an orange jumpsuit. He wore a backpack connected by a hose to a large spray gun he held.

The second was Dr. Deemo. His eyes were solid yellow, without a pupil or iris, his pale brown skin was covered in scales and a pair of fangs jutted from his upper jaw. He wore a sleeveless black vest, black boots, red trousers and a black top hat.

"If someone else is creating mutants then I want to know more about it" said Arcane. "Come on, we're going to confront these intruders directly."

"Yeah! We'll teach them to try and muscle in on our turf!" Weed Killer exclaimed. Noticing his master's pointed look he hastily added "uh, I mean your turf boss."

"And don't forget it" said Arcane darkly.

* * *

Meanwhile at Ernie's Gym and Juice Bar Jason and Tommy were sparring together to hone their karate skills. Kimberly, Trini, Billy and Zack were all watching with interest, as were most of the customers. While it was just a friendly training session it was still a highly impressive display of skill.

Eventually they both wound down and finally stopped. Both guys were breathing heavily and had sweat on their brows as they bowed to each other.

"That was morphinomenal!" Kimberly exclaimed when Tommy and Jason joined them at their table after showering and changing. The others had already gotten them drinks which they gratefully accepted.

"Thanks Kim" said Tommy. "Too bad it was another draw."

"Yeah" Jason agreed. "I don't think we'll ever really know which of us is best."

"Now guys come on" Trini gently chided. "You're both on the same side and you know we're all stronger together."

"Yeah man. Remember what happened when Rita sent those Super-Putties down?" Zack pointed out.

"We know" Jason reassured them. "We just want to be the best martial artists we can be. Don't worry me and Tommy are bros and nothing will change that."

"You said it" Tommy agreed.

Just then the familiar beeping sound issued from their communicators. Jason glanced around to check no-one was listening and then tapped his communicator.

"Zordon, we read you" he said quietly.

"RANGERS, YOU MUST TELEPORT TO THE COMMAND CENTRE IMMEDIATELY" their mentor replied.

The Rangers went into the main corridor and after a quick check that the coast was clear they teleported to the Command Centre.

"AI-YI-YI-YI-YI" Alpha 5 exclaimed as they appeared. "Rangers we have a situation here!"

"RANGERS, OBSERVE THE VIEWING GLOBE" said Zordon.

They did so. The globe depicted a group of Putties digging up a patch of earth.

"THESE IMAGES ARE FROM A SWAMP IN LOUISIANA. LORD ZEDD HAS DISCOVERED THE LOCATION OF THE SWORD OF POWER, AN ANCIENT WEAPON TOO POWERFUL FOR ANY WARRIOR TO WIELD WITHOUT BEING CONSUMED BY ITS POWER" Zordon explained. "CENTURIES AGO A TRIBE OF NATIVE PEOPLE WERE ENTRUSTED WITH THE SWORD. FOR SAFEKEEPING THEY HID IT ON THEIR SACRED BURIAL GROUND. NOW ZEDD HAS SENT HIS PUTTIES TO UNEARTH IT."

"That's disgusting" said Trini. "How can Zedd disturb people's graves like that?"

"Yeah, that's just wrong" Zack agreed.

"INDEED POWER RANGERS. YOU MUST STOP THEM BEFORE THEY LOCATE THE SWORD."

"What about Tommy?" Kimberly asked.

"It's alright Kim" he replied. "I can handle some Putties without needing to use my powers."

"All right then. Power Rangers let's teach these guys a lesson" said Jason.

The Rangers teleported to the swamp. They materialised just as Squatt and Baboo were dragging an ornately carved box out of the ground.

"Hold it right there!" Jason yelled. Startled, the two monsters dropped the box which clattered as it hit the ground.

"Get them Putties" Baboo called before he and Squatt teleported away. The Putties dropped their shovels and charged. The Rangers met them head-on.

Jason and Tommy led the way. Despite being tired from their earlier sparring match they moved and fought expertly, blocking attacks and countering with solid punches and kicks aimed at the large 'Z' carved onto the Putties chests. With each successful hit the Putties glowed and exploded.

Zack, Billy and Trini were more than holding their own, with Zack employing his trademark 'hip-hop-kido' to distract and set up the creatures, and Trini fighting with her usual skill and grace.

Kimberly did a series of tumbles to gain room and when a Putty rushed her she leaped up and landed a kick to its chest right on the 'Z.' It exploded, but her triumphant grin disappeared as she noticed her hands were covered in mud and slime.

"GROSS!"

Within just a few moments the Putties were all destroyed. Zack grinned gleefully. "Yeah! We kicked their clay butts!"

"Yes, we achieved an impressive victory especially given our tactical disadvantage of being in unfamiliar surroundings and the additional disadvantage of Tommy and Jason's level of fatigue from their prior exertions" Billy agreed.

Tommy chuckled softly as he took out a handkerchief and helped Kim wipe her hands. "Here let me help."

"Thank you Tommy" she replied, grinning at him. He grinned back.

"Alright guys, let's see what they were after" said Jason.

They gathered around as he opened the box. Inside was a black and silver long-sword with a double-edged blade, a diamond-shaped pommel and rhombus-shaped guards.

"That's an awesome sword" said Tommy.

"A remarkable example of metalworking" Billy added.

"Let's get it back to the Command Centre" said Jason.

"You're not going anywhere!"

The Rangers all spun around to see a bright red vehicle drive out into the clearing. It resembled an airboat, with a large back-mounted propeller, but it also had caterpillar tracks. Mounted on the bow were three serrated blades and behind them was a torpedo launcher. This was Arcane's Bayou Blaster. Aboard it were Arcane and his three henchmen. The Rangers stared in astonishment.

"Now what do we have here?" the evil scientist asked with a fiendish smile. "Six fine new guinea pigs for my experiments."

"It's Morphin time!" Jason yelled.

But it was too late. Before the Rangers could pull out their morphers Arcane hit a button and fired a torpedo. It exploded overhead, dousing the Rangers in a cloud of mutagenic gas. They cried out in pain and gripped their heads as the chemicals took effect.

Jason, Tommy and Billy took on a similar appearance to Dr. Deemo. Their hair fell out and scales covered their skin, coloured red, green and blue respectively. Their eyes turned red.

Trini and Zack by contrast sprouted coverings of light fur, sandy brown for Trini and dark brown for Zack. Their ears also turned pointed and their eyes became yellow.

Kimberly's skin grew a thin coat of white feathers. Her nose and mouth fused together to form a stubby beak.

Finally the gas dispersed. The mutated Rangers fell silent and stopped moving. They stood still, awaiting Arcane's commands.

"Much better" he said as he examined his handiwork with a sick smile. "With these new creatures I will finally be able to capture Swamp Thing."

"It was no help what they pulled from the hole, now they are under Dr. Arcane's control" said Deemo, talking in rhyme as usual.

"Return to my lab" said Arcane. "And bring that sword with us. I suspect it's something more than a mere weapon."

"You heard him. Move it rookies" Skinman cackled.

The Rangers obeyed. Tommy picked up the box that contained the Sword of Power and all of them followed the Bayou Blaster as it drove away.


	2. Chapter 2

In the Command Centre Zordon and Alpha saw the whole thing on the viewing globe.

"AI-YI-YI-YI-YI! This is terrible! The Rangers have been turned into mutants!" Alpha exclaimed.

"DO NOT PANIC ALPHA. TELEPORT THEM BACK TO THE COMMAND CENTRE AND PUT THEM IN A HOLDING FIELD" said Zordon.

"Right away Zordon." He tapped the control panel but nothing happened.

"Oh no! The teleportation systems can't lock onto them! What are we going to do?"

"I DO NOT KNOW ALPHA. FOR NOW WE MUST CONTINUE MONITORING THE SITUATION AND WAIT UNTIL AN OPPORTUNITY TO HELP THE RANGERS EMERGES."

Alpha worriedly turned back to the viewing globe.

* * *

The Arcane plantation was a foreboding image even in the daylight. The building stood out like a blight upon the swamp, its stark, man-made silhouette a sharp contrast to its natural surroundings despite the moss growing on its walls. It was creepy and imposing, looking more like a mausoleum than a place living people would call home, and offering more than a hint of the diabolical work that went on beneath it. But even so there was still beauty to be found there, if one knew where to look.

The gardens around the back of the house were exquisite. There were trees, bushes and colourful, fragrant flowers, all of them lovingly maintained and cared for. More exquisite still was the one who tended the gardens. Her name was Abby Arcane, Dr. Anton Arcane's stepdaughter.

Abby was a beautiful young woman with blue eyes, long white hair, light skin and a lean figure. She wore blue jeans with a green belt, green pumps, a purple crop-top and a pink shirt tied together at her waist. A gold locket hung around her slender neck.

Currently she was in the garden listening to birds singing. She smiled as she watched a song sparrow flit over to a bird feeder she had set up and begin eating hungrily.

Abby chuckled. "I guess all that singing must work up an appetite."

The birds stopped singing and took to the air as the peace was suddenly broken by the sound of a spinning propeller. Abby recognised it as her stepfather's Bayou Blaster. She also realised it was moving slower than normal.

Curious, she peered through a gap in the bushes and saw the red vehicle disappear down the concealed hatch that led to the underground lab. She gasped as she saw the reason it was moving slower. Trailing after it were six humanoid mutants, two female and four male. The hatch closed behind them.

"What has my stepfather done?" Abby said, horrified at innocent people being used in his monstrous experiments. She hurried back into the house, heading right for one of the secret passageways that led to Arcane's lab.

* * *

"Now then" said Arcane as he stood in front of his new minions. "Who are you and why are you here?"

He listened intently as one of them, identifying himself as Jason, told him the whole story. He had heard reports of the so-called "Power Rangers" battling monsters in California but had never paid them much attention. He had no time to waste on outlandish stories. Now however it seemed that the reports were completely accurate. It was gratifying to know that the creatures Skinman had seen were not in fact mutants, meaning no-one had stolen or duplicated his research.

"This sword, you say it's some kind of power source" he said.

"Yes Dr. Arcane" said Jason, his voice a dull monotone.

"Just looks like a fancy pig-sticker to me" Weed Killer scoffed.

"We shall see. A simple spectrographic analysis will determine if there's anything unusual about it" said Arcane.

Deemo placed the sword inside the analysis machine and activated it. Arcane studied the screen in fascination.

"Remarkable. This sword is completely stable and non-radioactive, yet it somehow contains tremendous reserves of energy. With this my transducer will be more powerful than ever! I can create nine Super Un-men! Swamp Thing won't stand a chance!" He laughed maniacally,

Unknown to any of them Abby was listening from her hiding place behind a bank of machinery and had heard everything. Her eyes widened in alarm.

"I have to warn Alec" she whispered as she slipped out of the lab, unseen by anyone.

* * *

Once she had left the house she quickly made her way through the swamp. Most people would have immediately gotten lost but Abby knew exactly where she was going. Before long she arrived at a large tree with irregular wooden platforms on its trunk. This was the home and secret lab of Alec Holland, AKA Swamp Thing.

"Alec! Alec!" she called.

A large figure stepped out of the leafy canopy and onto one of the platforms. He was over seven feet tall and though he was humanoid and possessed a mouth and red eyes his body was formed of green plant material, with an outer covering of brown roots. The sight of him would have sent most people fleeing in terror. She knew better.

Alec Holland was a brilliant scientist who had created a formula to enhance plant growth and so end world hunger. Dr. Arcane had attacked his lab to steal the formula and in the struggle Alec had been splashed with the chemical and set ablaze. He had ran into the swamp to try and douse the flames but in doing so the formula had reacted with the surrounding environment, mutating him into the human/plant hybrid known as Swamp Thing.

He reached out with one hand and his arm extended, growing in size as it did so. He carefully picked her up and retracted his arm to set her down gently in front of him. His arm shrank back down to its normal size.

"What's wrong Abby?" he asked. In contrast to his appearance his voice was deep and gentle.

She told him the whole story. When she finished he clenched his fist in anger.

"Mutating innocent people and using them as pawns! Arcane won't get away with this!"

"What are we going to do? We've never been so heavily outnumbered before" Abby pointed out.

"Let's get Tomahawk and Bayou Jack. I have an idea." he replied.

* * *

Arcane watched gleefully as Tommy climbed into the transducer and the lid was lowered. Coloured lights flashed and electricity crackled as the machine was activated.

The other Rangers had already been transduced, along with his henchmen. Jason was now a humanoid T-Rex, with large jaws filled with huge sharp teeth and three-toed feet with sharp claws. Billy had two horns growing from his forehead, a third horn growing from his nose. The back of his head sported a large bony frill and his mouth was replaced with a short curved beak.

Zack was covered in thick fur, with a long trunk and two curved tusks. Trini was a humanoid feline, with pointed ears, clawed hands and feet, and two long sabre-teeth.

Kimberly's arms were now wings, with her little finger stretched out and elongated, connected to her waist by a membrane of leathery skin. The beak she had acquired was now long and pointed, and a feathered crest curled up from the back of her head.

Deemo, Skinman and Weed Killer had also been transformed into their Un-men forms. Skinman was now a monstrous humanoid bat. Deemo's head had been replaced with that of a giant red snake. Weed Killer's head was now a grotesque centipede-like creature with red stalk eyes, a large fanged mouth and eight insect legs ending in pincers.

The transducer's lid raised up and the now Un-man Tommy stood up. He looked like Jason's Un-man form but with green skin and a ridge of spikes running down his back.

"Excellent! Such splendid new Un-men" said Arcane. "Now my new recruits, to mark the end of your old lives I will give you all new names." He pointed at each of them in turn. "You are now Red Rex, Triceraton, Tusker, Sabre Cat, Wind Storm and Drake."

"Yes Dr. Arcane" they all replied.

"Great names boss" said Weed Killer.

"Now go my Un-men army! Scour the swampland! Find Swamp Thing and bring him to me!" Arcane exclaimed.


	3. Chapter 3

Wind Storm, formerly Kimberly, flew high above the swamp, scanning with her enhanced eyesight for any sign of her quarry. The thick tree canopy provided superb cover but she was confident that she'd be able to find Swamp Thing well before the others.

There! She screeched in triumph as she spotted a large green figure through a gap in the foliage. Wings swept back she dived to attack like a hawk. With another screech she slammed into him and knocked him to the damp ground.

What a minute, this wasn't Swamp Thing! It was just a dummy covered in moss.

Before she could react a weighted net plummeted down from the trees and landed right on top of her. Shrieking in rage Wind Storm tried to take off but she couldn't move her wings enough to get sufficient lift. As she struggled two men came rushing out of hiding and tackled her.

The first was a Native American in brown trousers and a sleeveless green vest with a red headband. He was armed with a large crossbow. The other was an African-American with a crew cut in army fatigues. He wore a backpack and spray gun that fired jets of swamp water, a weapon he had dubbed the Bog Blaster. They were Tomahawk and Bayou Jack, Swamp Thing's allies in the fight against Arcane.

"Sorry for the rough treatment but you'll thank us for it later" said Tomahawk as they used tightly woven vines to bind the screeching mutant. Even with enhanced strength she couldn't get the leverage needed to break loose.

"Trust me, I've been there" Jack agreed. "Come on, let's get her back to Swamp Thing's lab."

* * *

"Good work guys" said Swamp Thing as they dragged Wind Storm into his tree lab. They had tied her beak closed to muffle her shrieks.

"No problem" replied Jack. "Thanks to Abby warning us we had plenty of time to come up with that trap."

"That's true." Swamp Thing nodded appreciatively at Abby and she smiled.

"And speaking of traps let's get this poor creature into my Venus flytrap" he went on.

The Venus flytrap was the size of a car and took up a corner of the lab. Swamp Thing had bio-engineered it to filter out Arcane's mutagen.

His arm extended and became a tendril that wrapped around Wind Storm and lifted her into the air. She squirmed furiously as she was lowered into the flytrap. The jaws closed and green light shone from between the teeth. After a few moments the light faded and the jaws opened to reveal Kimberly, fully human once more. She groaned softly, only semi-conscious. Tomahawk and Jack moved in and got her out of the net.

"Are you okay?" Tomahawk asked as they stepped back to give her space.

"Y, yeah I think so" she replied. Then she noticed Swamp Thing. Kimberly screamed and scooted backwards, eyes bulging with fear as she fell out of the flytrap and hit the floor.

"It's okay, you're safe now" said Abby reassuringly. "Don't be afraid. He's a friend."

Kim's fear eased slightly but she was still disoriented "W, what's going on?" she asked. "We had just found the sword and then some creepy guy shot something at us and then…" Her words trailed off as she remembered seeing the others start to mutate.

"Tommy! Guys!" She leapt to her feet but her knees buckled and she collapsed back down again.

"Easy there" said Swamp Thing. "We know what happened to your friends and we're going to help them."

"Thanks" she said as Abby helped her up. "Uh, who are you?"

"My name is Alec Holland but you can call me Swamp Thing. This is Abby Arcane, Tomahawk and Bayou Jack."

"A pleasure to meet you miss" said Tomahawk.

"I'm Kimberly" she replied. "I'm, uh…" She trailed off again as she wondered what she was supposed to say without revealing she was a Power Ranger. Jack noticed her discomfort.

"It's okay, we know you and your friends are the Power Rangers" he said.

"What?"

"The man who attacked you is Dr Arcane" said Swamp Thing. "Your friends are under his control. He knows who you all are."

"He's my stepfather" Abby said ruefully. "I saw what happened and told Alec about it. He was able to cure you."

"Hold on" said Kimberly. Feeling overwhelmed and in need of guidance she raised her communicator. "Zordon, Alpha, are you there?"

"IT IS GOOD TO HEAR FROM YOU KIMBERLY" said Zordon. "DO NOT BE AFRAID. DR HOLLAND AND HIS COMRADES CAN BE TRUSTED WITH YOUR SECRET AND THEIR AID WILL BE VITAL IN SAVING THE OTHER RANGERS."

"Okay, thanks Zordon." She lowered her communicator and turned back to Swamp Thing. "So what's the plan?"

"We need to get the other Rangers into my Venus flytrap" he replied, pointing to it as he spoke. "We can't defeat them all so we'll have to pick them off one at a time. We can't keep going back and forth from here either. Me, Tomahawk, Jack and Kimberly will take the flytrap out into the swamp and bring each Ranger to it. Abby, you go back to Arcane's lab and retrieve that sword while they're all preoccupied. To be on the safe side take the Marsh Buggy."

"No problem Alec" she replied.

* * *

Soon afterwards Tomahawk, Jack and Kimberly were driving across the swamp in the Bog Rover, a vehicle built by Swamp Thing himself. It had caterpillar tracks at the back and front skis to navigate the uneven terrain. Also at the back were two propellers, allowing it to cross water as easily as land. There was also a front-mounted grappling missile launcher.

"Ugh, this place is disgusting!" Kim complained as they drove through a pool of stagnant, muddy water. "Uh no offence you guys" she hastily added.

They chuckled. "None taken" said Jack. "The swamp takes some getting used to."

Their banter was interrupted by a roar as Sabre Cat pounced down on them from the treetops. Tomahawk tried to swerve out of the way but he was too late. Her attack capsized the Bog Rover and sent them all flying into the pool with a loud splash.

Gasping for breath Tomahawk and Jack surfaced only to be seized by Sabre Cat and hurled ashore. Not letting up for a second she pounced on them again and pinned them down.

"Where's Swamp Thing?" she growled.

"Right here" he said as he lowered his camouflage, appearing as if from thin air. She sprang at him but he immediately transformed into a tangle of vines. As she roared and slashed at him with her claws he extended himself over to a nearby clearing where he had planted the Venus flytrap and dropped her in.

Meanwhile Kimberly had dragged herself ashore. She was soaked to the bone and covered in mud, slime and algae. Her normally perfect hair was plastered to her head and her make-up had dissolved, leaving dark circles under her eyes.

"Eww! Gross! Gross! Gross!" Kim screamed.

Tomahawk came up to her. "Are you okay?"

"Do I look okay?" she yelled. "Look at me!"

He winced. "Well the good news is that another Ranger is being cured."

"Where?" All concerns about her appearance forgotten she hurried over just in time to see the flytrap open. Trini groaned softly and raised a hand to her forehead.

"What happened?"

"Trini! I'm so glad you're okay!" Kim cried as she hugged her. She returned the hug despite Kimberly being covered in swamp muck.

"Kimberly, what's going on?"

"I'll explain everything, but first let me introduce you to someone. Trini, this is Swamp Thing. Swamp Thing, this is my best friend Trini."

Swamp Thing had camouflaged himself against some nearby trees. Hearing Kim's words he returned to his usual form. Trini stared at him in astonishment but without fear.

"Hello miss" he said politely.

"Hello" she replied bemusedly.

Once she had gotten her bearings they quickly explained the situation to her. Trini nodded as she listened to Swamp Thing's "divide and conquer" strategy.

"It's a good plan. Zack's close by, we should go get him next" she said. "But he's really strong. We'll need to morph to stop him."

"Okay then, it's Morphin Time! Pterodactyl!"

"Sabre-Toothed tiger!"

In a flash of light they morphed into the Pink and Yellow Rangers.

"Good thing Arcane can't transform his Un-men as easily as that" Swamp Thing mused.


	4. Chapter 4

"Zack!"

Tusker was charging through the swamp, leaving a trail of broken branches and scattered leaves behind him when he heard the call. He spun around to see Kim and Trini standing nearby.

"Zack it's us" said Trini imploringly. "Try to remember who you really are."

He snorted and charged them but they easily evaded the attack. He was powerful but clumsy. It was easy for them to dodge his blows and lead him over to where Swamp Thing, Tomahawk and Jack were lying in wait.

"Now!" Kim yelled.

The Bog Rover drove out from cover and Tomahawk fired the grappling missile. It slammed into Tusker and knocked him stumbling backwards. Swamp Thing emerged from the ground beneath him as a cluster of vines, tangling around his legs so that he lost his footing completely. Tusker bellowed and struggled but before he could get loose he was dropped into the Venus flytrap.

Once Zack had been fully returned to normal Trini and Kim brought him up to speed.

"Thanks man" he told Swamp Thing.

"Glad to help" he replied. "Only three Rangers left now."

"That's three more than you're going to get, Swamp Thing" said Arcane as he, Deemo and Weed Killer came roaring up on the Bayou Blaster while Skinman circled overhead menacingly.

"It was a good plan, but now you are finished bog man" said Deemo as Red Rex, Drake and Triceraton came up behind them.

"It's Morphin Time! Mastodon!" Zack yelled.

He morphed into the Black Ranger and assumed a ready stance, as did Trini and Kim.

"Big deal" Weed Killer sneered. "Three kids in spandex are nothing we can't handle."

"We'll see about that" said Zack grimly.

"Will we?" Arcane sneered. He pushed a button and fired the mutation torpedo

"Not this time!" Zack yelled.

He drew his Power Axe and fired a blast of energy. The torpedo exploded, releasing its gas cloud. Anticipating this Trini and Kim had also drawn their Blade Blasters. They both fired, using the energy beams to ionise the gas before it could affect anyone.

"You're not the only ones with firepower" Weed Killer snarled. He aimed his spray gun and fired, blasting Zack with a stream of toxic chemicals.

"ARRGH!" he cried, falling to the ground as the toxins began to corrode his suit. The grass around him instantly withered and died while a sharp hissing sound filled the air.

"Hold on" said Jack. He fired a stream of swamp water from the Bog Blaster, washing the chemicals off of Zack and diluting them to decrease their lethality. Meanwhile Trini leapt into the air and landed a kick to weed Killer's head that sent him reeling backwards. No sooner had she landed than Red Rex was attacking with a flurry of blows. His mutation had not affected his skills at all and she was forced to give ground.

The battle was on!

* * *

After berating Squatt and Baboo for their failure to retrieve the Sword of Power Lord Zedd had stewed in fury for a while before impulsively deciding to take another look down at the swamp in the vain hope that somehow the Rangers had missed the sword. He couldn't believe what he saw.

"What's going on down there?" he yelled. "I didn't create any new monsters! Finster did you create those?"

He shook his head frantically. "No my lord. I would never make any monsters without your permission."

Zedd snarled but believed him. He turned back to the balcony and looked again.

"I will not allow anyone else to have the glory of destroying the Power Rangers! Goldar, take the Putties and get down there immediately!"

"As you command Lord Zedd" the gold-armoured warrior replied.

* * *

Goldar and the Putties teleported down to Earth, appearing on the fringes of the battle. Both sides momentarily stopped fighting as they were distracted by the newcomers.

"Get the Power Rangers!" Goldar roared and the grey creatures charged.

"Aim for the Z!" Kim yelled.

"Got it" Tomahawk replied. He fired his crossbow, hitting a Putty right on the 'Z.' It glowed and exploded into pieces.

Swamp Thing sprouted two extra arms and then extended all off them, punching four Putties simultaneously on their 'Z's and taking out all of them.

The Un-men backed away, content to let the Putties wear down their foes so that they could finish them off.

"Well this is most fortuitous" said Arcane.

"The enemy of my enemy is my friend. For Swamp Thing this is the end" Deemo agreed.

* * *

Meanwhile Abby had returned to the Arcane plantation. She warily entered the lab, carefully looking around in case her stepfather had set any kind of concealed traps. Fortunately there were none.

Quickly but cautiously she moved through the lab. She couldn't help wincing as she walked past the transducer. It appalled her to think of living beings having their bodies twisted and warped by the horrible machine.

Behind the transducer was an energy conductor which Arcane had placed the Sword of Power into in order to siphon off its energy. She tapped a few keys on the control panel and a hatch opened with a pneumatic hiss. Inside was the sword.

"Let's get you as far away from my stepfather as possible" said Abby as she lifted it out of the machine and carried it out of the plantation.

Once outside she paused briefly to inhale fresh flower-scented air. It always made her feel better whenever she needed to enter the lifeless dungeon-like lab.

* * *

She was unaware that up on the moon Lord Zedd was watching her. He had been watching the battle between the Rangers, their allies and his Putties when he had sensed a source of great power was nearby. He had immediately looked for it and had been astonished to see that the Sword of Power was still in the area.

"She has the sword!" Zedd exclaimed. "Putties, get her and bring it to me!"

* * *

Abby placed the sword in the back of the Marsh Buggy. Another vehicle built by Swamp Thing, it had a teal chassis, an orange windscreen, six large tires and a back-mounted propeller. At the front was a pair of root-like prongs.

Just then a squad of Putties materialised in front of her. They began loping forwards waving their arms erratically and making odd gurgling noises.

Abby was startled but recovered instantly. Before the Putties could attack she jumped into the Marsh Buggy, started the engine and drove right at them, scattering the clay creatures like ninepins.

"Good thing Alec taught me how to drive this" she said as she disappeared into the swamp.

* * *

Zack swung his Power Axe but Goldar easily parried it with his sword and slashed him across the chest sending him rolling across the ground in a cloud of sparks.

Seeing her friend in trouble Kimberly fired three arrows from her Power Bow. Goldar deflected each one and leaped high into the air. Before Kim could dodge he landed a mighty overhead slash that launched her backwards. She landed with a hard thump and lay winded.

"You Rangers are no match for me!" Goldar laughed. "You are… ah, argh!"

He was interrupted mid-gloat by Swamp Thing transforming his fingers into roots and sending them towards him. The roots wrapped around Goldar until he was fully immobilised, his arms pinned to his sides. He struggled furiously but couldn't get loose. With a growl he teleported away.

"Thanks Swampy" said Zack.

"My pleasure."

The last of the Putties had also been defeated but there was no time to rejoice. The Un-men saw the opening to attack and leapt in.

Triceraton put his head down and charged, ramming into the Bog Rover and knocking it over. Tomahawk managed to hit the ground rolling but as soon as he got up Deemo's serpentine neck extended and coiled around him. Tomahawk tried to struggle but he was completely immobilised.

Skinman swooped down from the sky and seized Bayou Jack's shoulders with his clawed feet. Flapping his powerful wings he lifted him into the air.

"Let me go big-ears!" Jack yelled.

"Bayou Jack!" Swamp Thing called. He started to extend his arms but while he was distracted Weed Killer blasted him with a jet of defoliant. He cried out in pain and dropped to the ground.

Skinman shrieked and swung his legs. At the apex of the swing he released his hold, sending Jack flying through the air. He crashed into Kimberly, knocking them both sprawling. Skinman touched down and ripped the Bog Blaster from Jack's back before yanking him to his feet and trapping him in a secure hold. Triceraton did the same to Kimberly.

Trini and Zack were unable to help either as both were fighting desperately against Red Rex and Drake. The Un-men Rangers had all their skills and even greater strength and speed. More importantly Trini and Zack were holding back, unwilling to risk hurting their friends, while the Un-men Rangers had no such qualms. Finally they landed a powerful flurry of blows that stunned the Rangers. They too were seized and held firmly.

"At last! I've won!" Arcane laughed triumphantly as he watched his captives futile attempts to free themselves while Swamp Thing lay on the ground groaning faintly.

Then something happened. All of the Un-men started to look weak and dizzy. Their heads slumped and their eyes drooped.

"I don't feel so good" Skinman groaned.

"What happened to our extra power? Suddenly things have gone sour" said Deemo.

"Of course!" Trini exclaimed. "Their bodies can't handle the power the sword gave them. They're burning through it so fast they're getting tired."

"Then let's bust out of this!" Zack exclaimed.

As one they all broke free of their captors. Jack snatched up the Bog Blaster and used a jet of water to revitalise Swamp Thing. He leapt up, his strength fully restored.

"Retreat my Un-men!" Arcane cried.

Weed Killer, Deemo and Skinman managed to stumble onto the Bayou Blaster and it roared away. Triceraton, Drake and Red Rex tried to flee but Swamp Thing quickly caught them in his vines.

"Now let's get these guys into my Venus flytrap so they can be cured."

* * *

Within moments Billy, Tommy and Jason had been fully restored to normal. Once they had recovered enough everyone returned to Swamp Thing's lab. Billy stared around at the lab in amazement before turning to Swamp Thing himself.

"I've read some of your work Dr. Holland" he said excitedly. "Your research into increasing yield and survivability of crops through biochemical enhancement of botanical growth rates is truly phenomenal!"

"Thank you Billy" he replied.

"We can't thank you all enough for everything you've done for us" said Jason.

"Yeah you guys saved us" Tommy agreed.

"No problem guys" replied Tomahawk.

"Yeah it's good to know Earth has other defenders out there" Jack agreed.

"What about Alec? Is there any way you can help him?" Abby asked.

"Can we Zordon?" Trini asked into her communicator.

"I'M AFRAID NOT TRINI" Zordon replied. "WHILE THE COMMAND CENTRE HAS EXTENSIVE FILES ON TRANSFIGURATIVE MAGIC IT HAS LITTLE DATA ON REVERSING GENETIC MUTATIONS. WE WILL OF COURSE SEARCH FOR A WAY TO HELP DR. HOLLAND, BUT FOR NOW THERE IS NOTHING WE CAN DO."

Trini sighed. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay" Swamp Thing replied. "Thank you for asking."

"Don't give up man" said Zack. "I'll bet my Main Brain Billy can come up with something."

"Affirmative. I'll look into finding a cure" Billy agreed.

"I appreciate that."

"Well in the meantime we need to go" said Jason. He hefted the Sword of Power. "We've got to get this back to the Command Centre."

"Goodbye Power Rangers. I hope we'll see you soon" said Swamp Thing.

"Goodbye everyone." With that the Rangers teleported away.

"Well that was something" said Jack. "I never thought we'd get to meet super heroes."

Abby smiled. "Don't let the boys find out or we'll never hear the end of it."

They all laughed happily at that, even Swamp Thing.

* * *

"This is not a defeat" Arcane muttered to himself as he drove the Bayou Blaster through the concealed hatchway. "It's merely a setback. Once I've made a few refinements I can give my Un-men the same increased power but without it burning up so fast. Victory over Swamp Thing is still within my grasp."

The Un-men couldn't reply. They were all sound asleep and snoring loudly.

He parked his vehicle and hurried over to the energy conductor, eager to start work on the adjustments. Even as he reached for the control panel he saw something and his jaw dropped in disbelief.

The access hatch was open. The Sword of Power was gone!

Arcane threw back his head and howled in pure rage. Despite that the Un-men continued to snore.

* * *

A similar scene was playing out on the Moon where Lord Zedd was also raging about his latest defeat.

"You morons! You ruined a perfectly good plan!"

His minions cowered before him as he ranted. Finally he turned and stormed over to the balcony, his fingers clenched around his staff so hard a lesser metal would have crumpled.

"I'll get you next time Power Rangers!" Zedd screamed into the blackness of space.

* * *

In the Command Centre the Rangers stood in a circle with the Sword of Power suspended in the air between them. It glowed and disappeared.

"IT IS DONE RANGERS" said Zordon. "HENCEFORTH ONLY THE SIX OF YOU TOGETHER WILL BE ABLE TO SUMMON THE SWORD OF POWER."

"Yeah, that'll keep it out of Zedd's hands" said Zack.

Kimberly sighed. "If you'll excuse me I really need to go home and shower for a couple of days to get that swamp muck out of my hair."

Tommy grinned and put an arm around her. "It's okay Kim. I love you anyway."

"Thank you Tommy" she said with a huge grin as she hugged him. The other Rangers and Zordon all smiled.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** The Sword of Power is the same one from the episode "The Green Dream." I always disliked how it just appeared out of thin air with no explanation so I partially wrote this story to provide one.


End file.
